New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Balcelpink’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Balcelpink’, characterized by its upright, uniform and mounded plant habit; large dark pink-colored flowers that are positioned above and beyond the leaves; and green-colored leaves.

Botanical classification/cultivar denomination: Impatiens hawkericultivar Balcelpink.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of NewGuinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Balcelpink’.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of the breedingprogram is to develop New Guinea Impatiens cultivars that have a freelybasal branching growth habit and numerous large flowers with attractiveflower colors.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in 2000 of the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Moorea, disclosed inU.S. Plant Pat. No 9,l47, as the female, or seed parent, with aproprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified as code number1508, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The cultivarBalcelpink was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a floweringplant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlledenvironment in Arroyo Grande, Calif.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken inArroyo Grande, Calif. since March, 2000 has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Balcelpink’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Balcelpink’ as a new and distinct New GuineaImpatiens cultivar:

1. Upright, uniform and mounded plant habit.

2. Large dark pink-colored flowers that are positioned above and beyondthe leaves.

3. Green-colored leaves.

Plants of the new Impatiens differ primarily from plants of the femaleand male parents in flower and leaf coloration.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the cultivarFisnics Pink, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,228. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in West Chicago, Ill., plants of the new Impatiensdiffered from plants of the cultivar Fisnics Pink in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens had shorter lateral branches with shorterinternodes than plants of the cultivar Fisnics Pink.

2. Plants of the new Impatiens had longer leaves than plants of thecultivar Fisnics Pink.

3. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of thecultivar Fisnics Pink.

4. Plants of the new Impatiens had shorter peduncles than plants of thecultivar Fisnics Pink.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newImpatiens.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Balcelpink’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalflowers of ‘Balcelpink’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Balcelpink has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in West Chicago, Ill., undercommercial practice in a polycarbonate-covered greenhouse with daytemperatures ranging from 20 to 24° C., night temperatures ranging from14 to 18° C. and light levels ranging from 4,000 to 7,000 footcandles.Rooted young plants were planted in 10-cm containers and had beengrowing for about 13 weeks when the photographs and the description weretaken.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Balcelpink.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Moorea, disclosed in U.S.Plant Pat. No. 9,147.

Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified ascode number 1508, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 7 days at 18° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About 21 days at 18° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous and white in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Upright, uniform and mounded plant habit; freelybasal branching growth habit, about four basal branches develop perplant. Moderately vigorous.

Plant height.—About 17.3 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 31.8 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 8.3 cm. Diameter: About 9 mm. Internodelength: About 2.4 cm. Color: 144B.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite or in whorls of three tofive. Length: About 9.6 cm. Width: About 3.4 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex:Acuminate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Serrulate with ciliation. Texture,upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern: Pinnate.Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 146A. Young foliage, lower surface:147B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A. Fully expandedfoliage, lower surface: 147B. Venation, upper surface: Midvein, 145Coccasionally overlain with 63B; lateral veins, 145C. Venation, lowersurface: 145C. Petiole: Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 3.3 mm.Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper andlower surfaces: 145C.

Flower description:

Flower type and flowering habit.—Single large flowers. Freely flowering,usually about three flowers and flower buds per lateral branch. Flowerspositioned above and beyond the foliage and typically face upward oroutward. Flowers not fragrant. Petals self-cleaning; gynoeciumpersistent.

Flower longevity.—Flowers last about one week on the plant.

Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions; in the garden,flowering from spring until fall, flowering continuous.

Flower buds.—Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 1.4 cm. Shape: Ovoid.Color: N66B.

Flower diameter.—About 7.5 cm.

Flower depth.—About 1.8 cm.

Flower shape.—Rounded.

Petals.—Quantity: Five per flower, imbricate. Length, banner petal:About 3.6 cm. Length, lateral petals: About 3.7 cm. Length, basalpetals: About 3.9 cm. Width, banner petals: About 5.7 cm. Width, lateralpetals: About 4.5 cm. Width, basal petals: About 5.4 cm. Shape: Obovate.Apex: Emarginate. Base, banner petal: Truncate. Base, lateral and basalpetals: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper surface: 73A. When opening,lower surface: 73B. Fully opened, upper surface: N66C; towards base,N66A. Fully opened, lower surface: 68B. Spur: Quantity: One per flower.Length: About 7.5 cm. Aspect: Slightly curved. Color: 53C; towards apex,144C.

Peduncles.—Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Strength: Strong;flexible. Angle: Acute. Color: 145A overlain with 53B.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity/arrangement: Five fusedat anthers, hooded; filaments free. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anthershape: Obovate. Anther color: 56D. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollencolor: 11D. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity: One per flower. Pistil length:About 6 mm. Stigma length: Less than 1 mm. Stigma color: Colorless.Style length: Less than 1 mm. Style color: 50B. Ovary arrangement:Five-celled. Ovary length: About 1 mm. Ovary texture: Smooth. Ovarycolor: N144C.

Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit development has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to New GuineaImpatiens.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiensplant named ‘Balcelpink’, as illustrated and described.